Indian Athletes Face Tough Challenges at Asian Games 2026

Wushu Competitions End for Indian Athletes

In Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 20, Indian wushu competitor Vikrant Baliyan exited the men's 75kg Sanda event after a 0-2 defeat against Iran's Soheil Mousavi during the Round of 16 at the Asian Games 2026. Mousavi showcased his skills by winning both rounds with a score of 5-0, thus concluding India's journey in the Sanda category.

Earlier, Aparna Dahiya also faced an early exit in the women's 52kg Sanda event, losing 0-2 to Iran's Sogand Sinkaeichetan, who similarly dominated both rounds with a 5-0 scoreline. Dahiya had entered the competition on a high note, having secured gold at the 11th Sanda World Cup in Macau in May, where she triumphed over reigning world champion Thi Phuong Nga Ngo from Vietnam.

Strong Performances Across Various Sports

In the men's Changquan event, Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finished in 11th place during the finals. The opening day of the Asian Games saw India achieving notable success in multiple sports.

In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan earned a silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle individual final and, alongside teammates Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, secured another silver in the team event.

Mixed martial arts also brought success, with Suchika Tariyal winning her quarterfinal match against Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the women's traditional 60kg category.

India's hockey teams delivered impressive performances, with the women's team defeating Uzbekistan 19-0 in Pool B and the men's team overpowering Indonesia 13-1 in Pool A.

The Indian women's cricket team advanced to the finals after a victory over Bangladesh in the semifinals.

In table tennis, both the men's and women's teams achieved 3-0 victories against Indonesia in their Group F matches, with the women narrowly defeating Singapore 3-2.

The women's badminton team kicked off their campaign with a solid 3-0 win against Kazakhstan.

In swimming, Rishabh Das qualified for the men's 100m backstroke final, finishing sixth after placing fifth in the heats. Benediction Beniston and Akash Mani ended up 12th and 23rd, respectively, in the men's 100m freestyle heats.

In teqball, Quimcy Dsouza lost in the women's singles bronze-medal match, and she, along with Mohamed Anas Beg, was defeated in the mixed doubles bronze-medal contest.

The day concluded with the India-Iran table tennis match, where India faced a 0-3 defeat.